1. Technical Field
The present invention relates in general to data processing systems and, in particular, to a data processing system and method providing for remotely recovering a primary password required to complete a boot process of a client computer system. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to a data processing system and method for remotely recovering a primary password required to complete a boot process of a client computer system in response to a successful execution of an interrogative password method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Personal computer systems are well known in the art. They have attained widespread use for providing computer power to many segments of today'modern society. Personal computers (PCs) may be defined as a desktop, floor standing, or portable microcomputer that includes a system unit having a central processing unit (CPU) and associated volatile and non-volatile memory, including random access memory (RAM) and basic input/output system read only memory (BIOS ROM), a system monitor, a keyboard, one or more flexible diskette drives, a CD-ROM drive, a fixed disk storage drive (also known as a “hard drive”), a pointing device such as a mouse, and an optional network interface adapter. One of the distinguishing characteristics of these systems is the use of a motherboard or system planar to electrically connect these components together. Examples of such personal computer systems are IBM'PC 300 series, Aptiva series, and Intellistation series.
A computer system requires a basic input/output system (BIOS) in order to operate. The BIOS is code that controls basic hardware operations, such as interactions with disk drives, hard drives, and the keyboard.
When a computer is reset, a boot process begins when POST begins executing. POST uses the initialization settings to configure the computer. BIOS then controls the basic operation of the hardware utilizing the hardware as it was configured by POST. The boot process is complete upon the completion of the execution of the POST commands.
In known systems, after the system has completed its boot process, a password is sometimes used to restrict the use of the system. After the system has been initialized, a user is prompted to enter the correct password. If the correct password is entered, the system will permit access by the user and boot the operating system. If an incorrect password is entered, the system will prohibit access.
One of the largest cost problems today for a large corporate information technology (IT) organization is passwords lost by users. When a user has forgotten their password, the user must call the IT help desk and get a new password. Alternatively, a service technician from the IT department may have to physically go to the user'computer system and reset the system so that the user may enter a new password.
Therefore a need exists for a data processing system and method for recovering a client computer system's primary password from a server computer system prior to the client computer system completing a boot process.